Bountiful Balcony: How To Create A Balcony Garden That Will Produce A Hefty Harvest

If you live in an apartment, having your own garden may seem like a distant dream. However, gardening in small spaces is easier than ever with the wide variety of vegetable plants made specifically for container gardening and new and innovative gardening resources.

Not only is small-space gardening less time consuming, it's less demanding physically. You can also eliminate the use of harmful pesticides on your produce. With minimal time and effort, you can reap the healthy rewards of growing your own vegetables and fruits.

Pick the right planting resources

Choosing the right resources for growing your produce is crucial. Since your horizontal space is limited, you must take advantage of your vertical space. A vertical planting wall is a perfect pick for balcony gardening. They are available in a wide variety of sizes to suit your needs.

Vertical planting walls require minimal space but yield maximal results. They are especially good for growing herbs. Cooking with fresh herbs will be as simple as walking onto your balcony and snipping a few herbs from your vertical planting wall.

Pots with elevated feet are good for balcony gardening. The raised feet prevent the roots of the plants from becoming water logged by allowing any excessive water to drain out freely.

Raised beds also make great additions to the balcony for gardening. Purchase a few narrow raised beds to place around the outside of the balcony. Raised beds stand waist high and take all of the back-breaking work out of weeding the garden.

Purchase a free-standing trellis or arbor to use if you need a place for hanging baskets or containers that are designed especially for vertical gardening. You should also make sure you have a small trellis for each variety of climbing vegetable you plant.

Plant the right produce

While nearly any garden vegetable can be grown on a balcony, choosing varieties made for container gardening will yield better results. These varieties are typically labeled for container use when you purchase them.

Pole beans, climbing peas, miniature peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins, cantaloupe, and squash are easy to grow in containers and on vertical walls. Tomatoes, strawberries, and peppers can be grown successfully in upside-down hanging containers.

Not all plants are created equal. Always follow the instructions on the seed packet or the instructions shown on the plant package if you purchase starter plants. Each variety will require specific watering and fertilizing to yield the best results. Keep your plant packaging or seed packets organized by gluing them in a small notebook so you can refer to the care instructions easily.

New innovations in gardening resources make it simple to enjoy all the benefits of a garden without ever leaving your balcony. Taking advantage of these new resources, and growing species of plants designed for small-space gardening, is the key to enjoying a successful harvest. Contact a garden company, like Shades Of Green, for more help.